


The Coach & The Scout

by Kelswrites



Series: The Coach & The Scout [1]
Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 08:37:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8394787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelswrites/pseuds/Kelswrites
Summary: When Ginny Baker was a teenager she was forced to quit playing baseball because she was a girl. She switched to softball like many girls do and got a scholarship to college. After graduating she becomes the youngest head coach ever of her University's softball team. She meets a young girl, Paige who she feels has the potential to be the first woman in the majors. A scout visit from former Padre Mike Lawson for Paige introduces him to the young firey coach Ginny. Mike has to rethink his scouting strategy.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment! Would love to know your thoughts and feelings.

“If you want to be respected as athletes you have to move like athletes and right now the only athlete that I see is…nobody and that’s because I can’t see myself. Run!” Ginny Baker barked as she led her softball team on the running trail in the woods. Her running shoes were muddy and she along with the rest of the team were drenched but she didn’t care. They had two more miles to run.

“Coach B, can we get a rest. Please?” Michaela pleaded on behalf of the other girls. Ginny stopped running suddenly causing the line of girls to go running into eachother. A few of them let out audible “Oomphs.” Ginny licked her full lips and crossed her arms, her maroon Nike track jacket dripping. “A rest. Sure. We can rest. I’m sure the rest of the future softball Olympians are resting during their training sessions. I’m sure the Winthrop girls are resting. Sure, go ahead and rest!” She yelled. She hated that she was doing this. She sounded like her father, Bill Baker who had pushed her near her breaking point her entire life. What had it all been for? When she was fifteen, the rules suddenly changed and she hadn’t been allowed to play baseball with the boys anymore. She was forced to quit the beloved sport and switch to softball.

She hated playing with girls, females, women. They were so catty and emotional. She wasn’t unique anymore. Everyone on her high school team had the same equipment between their legs as she did. Bill Baker’s dreams of getting Ginny to the majors were dashed in an instant when he found out that regulations prohibited her from playing baseball with the boys anymore. He appealed the decision to no avail. Ginny had been bred to be an athlete so she took up basketball at first. She didn’t like being fouled and there was too much contact. Next, she took up track and field and found her rhythm as a hurdler. While practicing with the track team one day one of their balls flew onto the track. Instinctively she hurled it back. Overhand. The softball coach, Pat Early sprinted over to the track where Ginny was stretching out. “We could use your arm. But you can’t throw like that. It’s gotta be underhanded.” Those were the rules of softball. She could throw and she needed scholarship money so she played. Dumbing down her talent that her father had honed in on since she was a toddler. She got a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She wore the same colors that Michael Jordan had worn when he had been a student there. She fell into a rhythm and lead her team to a state championship. Bill didn’t seem proud as her teammates hoisted her on their shoulders after her last strike out. He sat in the stands shaking his head. All of that time and talent wasted, he thought. 

Ginny graduated with a degree in sports administration and headed off to Georgia to become a pitching coach for a high school baseball team. She was with the boys again. High school boys who saw her as a life-sized Barbie. She spent as much time fussing as she did coaching. Then she got the call. UNC needed a head coach and they wanted her. So she went. Ginny Baker was the youngest head coach in the history of the university at just 25 years old. Her former college coach, Gabriella wanted her. Vouched for her, and insisted that she was the one to take over the reins of the program. I was supposed to be the first woman in the MLB, Ginny thought as she moved into her new office the year before. Not this, not making history for being the youngest head coach in UNC history. 

Paige Tucker was a foster kid. She had never had a family in the conventional sense and had aged out of the foster-care system. Paige reminded Ginny of herself. She was hungry and she had that drive. Paige was at UNC on an academic scholarship, but Ginny had caught the girl on the softball field after hours one evening throwing a baseball. “Hey, hey you can’t be here.” Ginny called.

The girl kept hurling balls from a bucket across the field. Ginny estimated the heat behind each ball was around 84 mph. Her old number. “Hey!” Ginny yelled and the girl turned around. She snatched her earbuds out of her ear annoyed.

“Yeah?” the girl asked. “You’re trespassing on my field,” Ginny said walking next to her. It was like looking in the mirror at herself a few years younger. Same lean build, muscular legs and an expression on her face that read, try me.

“Sorry.” The girl spat. I didn’t see anyone out here and it's late so I figured why not? Who are you? A student?”

Ginny resisted the urge to smile. “No, I’m the head coach, Ginny Baker. And you are?... Other than trespassing what’s your name?”

“Paige Tucker.” Her New York accent was cutting. “You’re also my new pitcher, or I’ll file a report with University Police for you trespassing Paige. I could use you. Report to my office in athletics tomorrow morning at five am.” Ginny started walking away, sure of herself.

Paige did the math, “That’s in six hours!”

“You’d better get to bed then.” Ginny called with her back turned smiling to herself.

“Come on girls!” Paige rallied as the rain continued to fall. If coach B can run this we can too.”

Ginny nodded and took off again leaving her team to try to keep up with her. Ginny didn’t know what was next for her star athlete who she had to teach to throw underhanded much like Coach Pat had taught her, but Ginny felt like if anyone could be the first woman in the majors it could be Paige Tucker. After hours they worked on pitching, like a baseball player. Ginny never planted the idea of the majors in Paige’s head, if it didn’t work out it would be too painful much like it was for her when she didn’t get her shot. But Ginny posted videos of Paige pitching on Youtube often just to see if anyone would bite.

 


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike Lawson comes to Ginny Baker's yard.

 

Ginny stood next to one of her girls, Addison giving her some instruction. “Throw it just like that.” She could make out a male figure walking up to the fence shielding his eyes with his hand. Whoever he was he had a beard like a Duck Dynasty cast member. “Keep practicing that. I gotta get this guy outta here,” Ginny called to Addison.

The gates of the field had a sign posted “ _Closed Practice_.” She marched up to the fence and as she made her way closer she couldn’t believe it. Her childhood idol, Mike Lawson. Who did he think that he was coming into her practice unannounced. The girls had a game against their toughest opponent in forty-eight hours and the last thing that she needed was a distraction.

Mike Lawson had retired last season and did a brief stint on the MLB network though he wasn’t really good at it. He was just a good looking talking head and now he was here decked out in San Diego Padres polo and jeans. “Hey, excuse me this is a closed practice. The signs says it on the gate,” she said annoyed.

Mike smiled condescendingly. She called herself a head coach. Didn’t she know who he was? “I’m sorry, but I’m M-”

“I know who you are,” she said sharply crossing her arms across her slender body.

“Of course you do, what woman doesn’t?” he said seriously while caressing his own beard. “Unfortunately I can’t say the same about you, though the University website tells me you are the great Ginny Baker. I didn’t wake up knowing that, I just googled it on the way over.” He extended his hand again.

Ginny didn’t want to shake his hand but it was like a magnet that she couldn’t resist. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m Ginny Baker and this is my team. My field. My _closed practice_. What can I do for you, Mr. Lawson?” This was the man whose poster hung over her bed for years and now he was here and he slightly knew who she was! On the inside she was fangirling, on the outside, she was stewing.

“I’m a scout now for my former organization, the San Diego Padres and I’ve seen the videos posted on youtube of your pitcher, Paige. I was over in Georgia doing some scouting for some high school boys and I figured since I was so close I would drive over and check out your girl.”

“Unannounced? You thought because you were a superstar player for the Padres that my girls or better yet, I would fawn all over you and be thrilled that you walked in our closed practice without an appointment? Listen, _former_ superstar, my girls are facing their toughest opponent in less than forty-eight hours and the last thing that we need is a distraction such as an MLB scout. Remember the World Series game you all played against Cleveland and you hit the winning homer? Well, this is that to them.”

“You were watching that game seven? Good one wasn’t it. Well the game is in two days and my GM is expecting me to be gone for the next four days so I’ll just hang around here. After the game is over we can talk about getting your girl onto one of our farm teams. We want to be the first organization to bring a woman into the majors and we think Paige just might be the right lady for the job.”

Ginny’s breath caught in her throat. This was her dream. Coming true, but not with her at the helm. “Paige, in the majors?” She asked backing down a bit.

“Yeah, well it will take at least atleast two seasons to get her ready as she moves through the system, but I think she has what it takes. Who’s training her? Is that you?”

“Yeah, I used to be a ballplayer, a baseball player. I had to quit because I’m a woman.”

Mike inhaled sharply, “Too bad. The only time breasts are a bad thing. I hate to hear that Baker.” She hated that he called her by her last name. He didn’t know her but it rolled off his tongue so easily. “I’ve seen you throw it back to her off camera. All of a sudden the ball is hurling at her and I can’t see who’s throwing it. Pretty cool.”

“Coach B!” One of the girls yelled from the field.

“I gotta go. Come back later and we’ll talk about Paige. I'll still be in my office, I have some paperwork to look over but I can take a quick break around seven thirty to discuss her with you.”

Mike shrugged, “Great. I’ll bring some takeout and we can discuss strategy. It was nice to meet you Baker, and sorry for barging in here.”

“You’re a lot of things but sorry isn’t one of them.”

“Nope. I sure am not. I’ll see you later coach.”

“Out of my yard!” Ginny barked but her eyes were soft, contradicting her tone. Just as suddenly as he appeared he was gone. She half ran, half jogged over to her girls.

“Who was that guy?” Paige asked nodding over to the fences.

Ginny shook her head, “Nobody. Get back to practice.”


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike discovers he may be scouting the wrong woman.

 

“Coach Baker, this guy says that he has an appointment with you?” The security guard, Greg said with Mike trailing behind him holding a pizza box with two plastic takeout boxes stacked on top.

“Thanks Greg, he’s good,” Ginny said with a smile and a nod. “You made it.” She said to Mike once Greg was gone.

“I’m a man of my word Coach, besides you have something that I want.” His eyes trailed the length of her upper body. She had done a HIIT workout before she settled into her office and she was wearing only a Nike tank and compression pants. He couldn’t see her bottom half, but he was satisfied with the parts of her that were visible. He took in the toned arms that were the color of honey and cocoa. He took notice of the baseball pendant that hung from a thin chain on her neck.

“Do I?” She asked.

“You do. But let’s eat first. I didn’t know what you liked so I got pizza, Chinese takeout and Buffalo wings. I figured I should hit a homer somewhere with all of this. But I forgot drinks.” He shook his head.

“No worries. I keep a mini bar.” She winked and pulled out two light beers from the mini fridge under her desk.

“My kinda woman.” He twisted off the top and took a long swig. “Girly beer doesn't matter as long as it’s sudsy and wet.” He winked at her.

Ginny couldn’t help but laugh as she reached for the pizza box, “You are not a good scout.”

“Never said I was.” He grabbed the carton of Chinese rice, “Do you want any of this?” she shook her head. “Okay, I’m going to just kill it straight from the carton then.” The two of them ate in silence for a few moments that Ginny found to be uncomfortable. 

“So you wanted to talk about Paige?” She instinctively touched the baseball pendant on her neck.

“Yeah, of course. I think with the right training she has what we’re looking for. The Padres have been struggling since our World Series run, what with Sanders going off to be a Yankee, Stubbs going to Chicago, Miller a Texas Ranger its just been a nightmare for our organization and of course my retirement. We’re looking to rebuild and we want someone fresh.”

Ginny nodded, “Paige is…complex. She spent her whole life in and out of foster-care. She likes a really regimented life. I think she has the arm but she may not welcome the pressure. I would love to see her go though. When I was younger my father and I had this crazy dream that-” she stopped herself midsentence. Mike was hanging on to her every word.

“What Baker? Tell me.”

“My father used to be in the minors and he planted this crazy dream in my head that I could be the first woman in the majors, then when I was fifteen some rules changed and I had to quit baseball. It broke his heart. It was out of my hands but it was my biggest failure.”

“That wasn’t your fault Baker. I’m curious about your arm. Mind showing me what you got?” he asked.

Half an hour later Mike was suited up in full catcher’s gear and the two of them were on the field. Ginny had gotten the night custodian to turn on the field lights. “Let’s see this nasty scrougie you claim to have.” He said from behind his catcher’s mask. Ginny hurled balls at Mike, every pitch she’d ever learned. Sweat beaded her chest.

He stood up and flipped the mask back, “Geeze Baker, you’re exhausting.” He paced back and forth.

“Is something wrong?” she asked alarmed.

He shook his head. “Yeah. It is." He paused for a long beat stroking his beard again. "I think I came to scout the wrong woman.”

 


	4. Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike has to convince Ginny she's the right person for the job.

 

“No, absolutely not!” Ginny said. They had been arguing for a half an hour. Mike had the crazy idea that Ginny should be the one who went to the Padres farm team instead of Paige.

“Why not? You’re great. You have the power. Your fast ball is 87 MPH.”

“That’s where it tops out. I don’t have what it takes anymore.”

“Who told you that? Some little league officials when you were fifteen? Ten years ago. You’re young Baker. You could be a game changer.” She leaned against the side of the equipment shed with her arms crossed. It was finally falling into her lap and she almost didn’t want it anymore. She had resigned herself ten years ago that it would never happen for her and here he was on the verge of making it happen for her. What about Paige? What about the rest of her team? What about her father? So much was going through her mind.

“You didn’t come here for me. You came for Paige.” Ginny said firmly.

“Without you there would be no Paige. If you hadn’t posted those videos on Youtube I would’ve never known. You have to do this or you’ll hate yourself.”

“No. At least run it by Paige first. Give her a chance to decline if she does I’ll consider the Padres farm team.” Ginny said.

“Fine.” Mike said.

*********************************************************************

Ginny and Mike sat across from Paige in Ginny’s dining room. It was the day after their big game and her girls had lost. Ginny thought that some good news would lift Paige’s spirit. “I like my life here at UNC. Look, I think it’s great that you believe I could be the first woman in the majors Mr. Lawson, but I’m not ready for that kind of pressure. For the first time in my life, in nineteen years I’m stable. I know where I’m going to go to bed at night. I have a family in my teammates and I’m not ready to go back to struggling. If I leave UNC to go play on a farm team or whatever I’ll be seven years old struggling again. I'll be back to spending every single day not knowing what's next for me. Thanks for the opportunity but Coach Baker is probably your woman.”

Ginny looked down at her plate of untouched pasta. Mike didn’t look disappointed that she was turning him down. “I don’t know what it’s like for you, and I’m sorry that you went through what you did. If you really mean it about Coach Baker, I think she could be a great asset to the Padres organization Paige.”

“I’m still sitting here.” Ginny said sinking lower into her chair. The struggles that Paige was referring to would be the struggles she would face if she took Mike up on his offer. It wasn’t going to really be different than all the years she played alongside her male teammates. She knew how to defend herself, and pick her battles. Though there was fear she was thrilled too.

“Honestly, I don’t even like baseball. I just like throwing things because it helps with my anger, but Coach B you should do this.” Paige stood up and smiled, “Besides I know you want to do this. I hate to eat and run on you two but I have a test on Monday so I have to hit my books. Mr. Lawson thank you again. Coach B, you know what to do. I’ll let myself out.”

Moments later Ginny poured herself another glass of wine hoping to ease the weight of the decision she had to make. Bill Baker’s voice roared in her ears, so many years of coaching and what some might consider verbal abuse. Was she really contemplating the choice at all? It really wasn’t a question. “What do you say Baker? Are you in or out?” Mike asked before draining his wine glass.

“Let me show you something.” Ginny said before emptying her glass as well. She flipped on the light to her spare bedroom and Mike took a step back. Every wall was filled with MLB stuff. In the center of it all was a poster of him swinging a bat from his rookie season.

“You have me on your wall.”

“It’s from when I was a preteen. This has been my dream my whole life and now that you’re here, I don’t know why I’m so afraid.” She wasn’t just talking about baseball though. Over the past two days Mike had been like her shadow. Bringing her food and text messaging her and sitting next to her on the bench at the big game. She was afraid of what he was making her feel. Her entire life she had been disciplined and in control but no matter how many times she told her heart not to be attracted to him it wouldn’t listen.

“The first time I was up to bat I almost peed my pants. I hit a homerun though. In order to hit a homerun you’ve gotta be willing to step up to the plate Baker. Come here.” He pulled her into a hug and held on. He buried his nose in her curls and inhaled. She smelled like something tropical. He wondered what her lips tasted like and he was determined to find out. He bent down slightly and kissed her. He parted her lips with his tongue and she opened her mouth for him.

Her heart raced but she was going to step up to the plate. She wanted to knock this homerun out of the park even if the game didn’t last forever. She led him to her bedroom next door and Mike undressed her carefully taking her in with his eyes as he peeled away her layers. For an old man, he was in great shape and Ginny ran her fingers over as much of his body as she could.

Afterward she lay tracing circles on his chest. “I think you knocked that out of the park.”

“I’ve been known to be a game changer. So are you in or are you out Baker? We could really use you.”

“Is this one of your scouting tactics old man?” She asked.

“No, but you’re the second prettiest person I’ve ever scouted.”

Ginny raised up a little, “I’m sorry second prettiest?”

“I had to organize a charity baseball game once and I recruited Kris Bryant of the Cubs. Beautiful eyes.”

“Oh, whatever.” Ginny scoffed.

“I usually don’t make a habit of sleeping with my recruits, although none of them are as soft as you.”

Ginny smiled, “Count me in Lawson.”

“Yes!” He pumped his fist. “I’m so glad you said yes. I can justify trips to San Antonio to sneak to see you. I had no idea how I was going to justify trips to North Carolina if you had said no. I have a feeling you’re going to be my favorite rookie.”

END


End file.
